Lamp

A lamp (Hebrew ner) in the ancient Near East was a shallow bowl of clay or metal filled with olive oil with a wick of flax, producing a modest but steady light. The tabernacle's golden lampstand (menorah) was kept burning continuously before the LORD (Ex. 27:20–21; Lev. 24:2–4), symbolizing the divine presence in Israel's midst. The lamp is employed figuratively for God's word (Ps. 119:105), for the human spirit as God's searching light (Prov. 20:27), and for the Davidic covenant: "I have ordained a lamp for mine anointed" (Ps. 132:17). Jesus' parable of the ten virgins centers on readiness marked by the state of one's lamp (Matt. 25:1–13). In Revelation, the seven lampstands represent the seven churches (Rev. 1:20).